The LASD’s “Super-Spreader Taskforce” has been breaking up gatherings held amid the ongoing pandemic in violation of the latest public health order which states: “All public and private gatherings of any number of people from more than one household are prohibited.”

More than 200 people were detained in the latest bust, with dozens of citations handed out, according to the LASD, LA’s FOX 11 reported.

“On Saturday January 9, 2021 #LASD Super-Spreader Taskforce continued enforcement of the Los Angeles County health orders to address underground party events. The results of the operation included 2 commercial building locations, and a total of 182 adult arrests (cited out),” the LASD tweeted.

Attendees of the event, held at a warehouse in the South Central region of Los Angeles, were told: “The party is over. If you do not come down, you will be subject to arrest,” by an LASD deputy over a loudspeaker during the bust, FOX 11 reported.

Many guests of the swinger party, which was reportedly advertised at Plushlife.org, were seen wearing face coverings as they exited the warehouse and awaited citations on the street, according to images tweeted by the LASD.

“LA County Sheriff’s Department was out tonight [Saturday] to enforce a public health order and we will continue to do so,” Captain Holly Francisco from the LASD told FOX 11.

The LASD warned on Twitter: “LASD @LACoSheriff Alex Villanueva has made it clear he will seek out & take law enforcement action against ALL underground party events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County, who fall under the Health Orders of the County’s Department of Public Health.

“The goal of these enforcement actions is to reduce the spread of #COVID19 and the risk to our vulnerable populations. We thank the Board of Supervisors for their commitment to resource COVID-19 enforcement action (Amendment to Motion S-1, December 8, 2020),” the LASD added.

The latest bust comes as total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County approach 940,000, as of Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

According to the latest statement Monday by the LA County Department of Public Health, “every minute, on average, 10 people in L.A. County test positive for COVID-19” and “since this surge began in early-November, deaths increased by more than 1,000 percent. Deaths increased from 12 deaths a day in early-November to more than 200 daily reported deaths last week.”

The department added: “This is the time to be extremely cautious and very careful.

“The biggest single factor contributing to the surge comes down to the actions individuals are taking. We need everyone to do the right thing—to protect each other so we stop the transmission that is now occurring at epic proportions,” the department warned.

The seven-day average of current COVID-19 hospitalizations across California has been rising sharply since early November, according to data compiled by The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project.

The average death toll has been rising sharply from early December, according to data compiled by Worldometer.

California reported the country’s fifth-highest number of average daily cases per 100,000 people in the last seven-days and is among the 10 states that have administered the least number of first vaccine doses per 100,000 people, according to the latest report Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The state’s daily infection count is projected to peak at around 135,709 on January 27 if “vaccine distribution is scaled up over 90 days,” according to the latest projection from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

Even with “rapid vaccine rollout,” which would see “vaccine distribution scaled up over 45 days,” the daily case tally is forecast to peak at around 134,374 on January 26, according to the IHME.

The wider picture

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 91 million people, including just over 22.6 million in the U.S., since it was first reported in Wuhan, China.

More than 1.9 million people have died worldwide and more than 50.4 million have recovered as of Tuesday, according to JHU.

The graphic below, produced by Statista, shows the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.

The graphic below, produced by Statista, shows those in the U.S. who would be uncomfortable engaging in leisure activities right now.